Alia Bastamam Atelier + Bridal 2019/2020 - “The Garden of Babylon”
Through the tempestuous winds and dusty dunes, there lies an oasis of splendour. It is made of terrace after terrace of columns draped in exuberant foliage and drenched in ancient world richness. Supposedly, the Gardens of Babylon were created out of love. In the conceptual process of tonight’s collections, one of Babylon’s many majestic gardens was imagined. Among its lush surroundings, our gaze shifts towards the women who occupy it. After all, it is said that they were the most alluring in the world. “But I wanted to see beyond their beauty,” Alia incites. “I looked deeper and into our fascinating female qualities, which we shouldn’t be afraid to lay bare, like our innocence and bravery. “Melding the inner facets of a woman with my own idea of this ‘Garden’, I’ve created looks that strike a chord with me. The two collections I’ve been working on speak for two female characteristics I relate to – sensual liberty and pure innocence.
ATELIER – Sensual Liberty
A blooming womanliness, of which the woman isn’t shy of, is evident in the looks for Atelier 2019/2020. She has a sultry tone; an unabashed confidence that sets Alia’s modern interpretation of the Babylonian woman. Bright reds strike a cautionary note of the female prowess. Sand tones of the desert and the sky blue of the Mediterranean azure set a calm quiet within her. And as with Alia’s continuous aesthetic, the soft curves of the shoulders and the well-drawn lines of the legs are gloriously displayed in floor-grazing evening gowns.
BRIDAL – Pure Innocence
In contrast to the greens and clay of the Garden, shades of virtuous white present the blushing chastity of a woman on her most special day. In that moment she is calm but her heart flutters. She takes the step through the Garden in dresses that are decorated in lush laces mimicking the movement of the plants. Sparks of gold accentuate her confident taste for the finer things in life. The opulence of fabric flows behind each Angelic glide in the windy nights, creating an aura that is ever beautiful, ever innocent.
ABOUT ALIA BASTAMAM
The brand launched in 2010 with made-to-measure creations out of its Atelier and Bridal lines. Preserving the brand’s aesthetic of luxe lounge resort-wear and developing ideal selections for the urban woman, the main Alia Bastamam line presented its first collection in 2011 for the Resort season. The main line now focuses on high-end ready-to-wear collections, while still maintaining its Atelier and Bridal services. In 2013, the brand launched it’s diffusion line ALIA B. which keeps an eye on affordable, trend-driven ready-to-wear collections, offering a hint of the Alia Bastamam aesthetic to a larger market. The ALIA B. line has released sold-out collections as well as two sold-out bag collaborations with Sometime. In 2017, Alia Bastamam picked up the ‘Designer of the Year Award’ at Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week, leading a clear direction for her label and placing her amongst the country’s leading fashion designers.